LOCAL RESEARCHERS HELPING LEAD NATIONAL STUDY EVALUATING NEW APPROACH THAT COULD SLOW PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Posted: 06/19/2015

Bangor, Maine—Acadia Hospital and Eastern Maine Medical Center are participating in a new, national, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical research study evaluating the potential benefits of an investigational medicine when taken by people with mild-to-moderate AD. Participants who are already being treated and have been taking donepezil (Aricept®) or rivastigmine (Exelon® Patch) for at least six months are eligible. Entitled NOBLE, the trial is evaluating an investigational drug, T-817MA, which may have the potential to modify the pace of the disease in those who are currently suffering with mild-to-moderate AD.

An estimated five million people in the U.S. already suffer from mild-to-moderate AD, with those numbers growing at an alarming rate. However, no new drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of AD since 2003. The NOBLE study was launched to potentially help address this gap in treatment.

“The impact of Alzheimer’s disease both for sufferers and their loved ones is staggering, and many people living with mild-to-moderate AD may feel left behind when it comes to options that could slow the pace of the disease,” said Clifford Singer, MD. “We are proud to take part in this important study to evaluate an investigational drug that may contribute to changing the game for people suffering with AD and their families in the future, and to advance the research around breakthrough therapy options for Alzheimer’s disease.”

AD develops when nerve cells in the brain no longer function normally, causing a change in one’s memory, behavior and ability to think clearly. The NOBLE study will explore the potential of T-817MA, a neuroprotectant agent designed to protect against neuron loss. Neuroprotectants are used for many central nervous system disorders including stroke and Parkinson’s disease.

In consultation with family caregivers, clinicians at Acadia Hospital and Eastern Maine Medical Center are now seeking eligible candidates for NOBLE.

The study is sponsored by Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd., FUJIFILM Group, makers of T-817MA, and is being conducted by the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), the largest Alzheimer’s disease therapeutic research consortium in the United States. To be eligible to participate, people must be between 55 and 85 with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease, have been taking certain AD medications for at least six months. For additional information on the NOBLE study, please visit: www.NOBLEstudy.org or contact Claudine Allen, RN at the EMMC Clinical Research Center 207-973-9013.